Fast food bites into youth health

Parents will breathe a sigh of relief once the proposed food regulations are in place.

Parents will breathe a sigh of relief once the proposed food regulations are in place.

For too long food manufacturers and fast-food retailers have targeted gullible children in their advertisements.

This has worked to the detriment of the country as obesity is on the rise. Many children are overweight because of a fondness for junk food. The slick advertising aimed at the youth has been hugely successful while threatening the nation's basic fibre.

Other foodstuffs have been implicated in attention deficit disorder and its varied allied deficiencies which cause hyperactivity in children. Scientists say this unhealthy diet can seriously impair the academic growth of children.

Foods aimed at children and teenagers can cause high cholesterol levels, an unhealthy fat content and provide insufficient nutrients which are further destroyed by cooking methods.

We applaud the government's efforts to curb this industry's enticement of children who in turn blackmail their parents into falling in line.

School tuck-shops will be monitored so that they sell healthy food that nourishes young bodies and minds.

It now remains for the responsible manufacturers to promote healthy eating in the young.

The proposed regulations will go a long way in aiding parent's efforts to promote healthy eating for their children.